42 Enter the Dread

They arrive in a location with blood red skies, the grass was withered, and eerie flowers glowed of an eerie aura. Inchgo walked beside Issac, who was still being held by his shadow. "It's good to be home. Oh, well I should say, isn't it good to be home?" She states, looking to Issac, slyly.

Issac was having a hard time tolerating his surroundings, and holding back his sheer terror of this demented woman. "What do you want from me!?" Issac was trembling, still wounded from his broken heart.

"Now that's the question...But I'll ask you this first. What do you want from me?" Inchgo inquires to Issac, "Oh, and don't say you want to leave."

"I don't want anything to do with you!" Issac snapped, shakily.

"But I have a lot to do with you. I was going to make your wish, and bring you death... I think all you really need is a push in the right direction... We're not that different, Issac." Inchgo says, leading him to a creepy looking castle.

"... You're insane." Issac retorted.

Inchgo reaches over and hugs Issac. "You just have to get used to me." She says, pinching him a little.

Issac shivers, uneasily. "............"

Inchgo then opens the door to the manor, it was creaking loudly. She pushes Issac forward walking in behind him. A maid rushes to them. "Mistress Inchgo! You can't go out on your own like that! Sam would have our heads!"

Inchgo cackles, "She worries too much, could you take my guest to the game room?"

On the second floor, another eerie figure was looking over things. They were shrouded in darkness, out of sight. Issac caught only a faint glimpse of their cat shaped hair, but grew uneasy from Inchgo's words. "Wait, game room? (WHAT IS SHE GOING TO DO?! TORTURE ME?!)" He was sweating by now.

Inchgo giggles, "Yes, think of this as a way of me, getting to know you." She states, as the maid grabs Issac by his hand.

"This way please." The maid asked to Issac.

"I want out of here." Issac gritted his teeth.

The maid shakes her head, "Now,now, the mistress always gets what she wants."

Inchgo sat, tapping her foot, "You should be happy I'm not putting some curse on you...Yet."

Issac looked terrified, "C-Curse!? Why would you do something like that to someone you want to get to know?!"

Inchgo sighs, "You'll learn when the time comes." She says, her grin becoming a void expression.

The maid drags Issac off to the game room. Inside there were white clouds around with a lone table, and a chair sat out before them. One door stood ahead of them, as the door behind them was shut, and locked tightly.

"Here we are..." The maid says, bowing.

His shadow released him, returning to his feet. Issac looked to the clouds, and then uneasily to the door. "Why are you people doing this to me?"

"The Mistress sees a lot in you, that she's taken an interest in." The maid walks over to the table, and forms a tea kettle and a cup. "Please come here. We need to get you changed, wandering the lands in attire as such, could make things quite difficult."

Issac timidly approached her, "(I'm not sure what she's planning, but guess I have no choice on the matter.)"

The maid lifts her hand, and a magic aura surrounding Issac, fixing his clothing to his usual attire. "There you go...From here, you will travel your deepest, and most horrid memories... It could get bad enough, you may start to loose your sanity... But I will be between. There are check points that lead you back to this very room... The tea supplied can help with nausea, but only for so long. The further you travel, the harder it will become for you to discern reality, from memory... I do hope we cross paths again, but that is up to the game." The maid says, placing on a smile.

Issac glances to the door. "(Darkest memories... my living nightmares... I don't know if I can do this...)" Issac held to his arm. "How... will I know when it's over?..."

The maid giggles, "Well, on most occasions, people either die, or they become like us."

"What do you mean by that!?" Issac gritted his teeth.

"Embraced in the power of Mistress Inchgo. Not only is this to test you, but it brings you closer to what you really desire in life...That being death, or something more...Deeper...But the game only will tell you, when you reach that point." The maid explains. "For me...I found nothing out there, only Inchgo..."

"...." Issac's eyes trail to the door. "(Stockholm syndrome... is that what Inchgo has planned for me too? I need to get out of here...)"

"Issac, right? You should hurry, if the mistress catches you not in the game, you may never get that answer you seek...Even if it's not what you are expecting." The maid takes a seat. "Hurry along now."

Issac gulped a bit, slowly approaching the door. "(Maybe I can find a way out through this 'game'...)" Issac placed his hands to the door, pushing it open. There was a dark wind that blew past him, as it opened. He found himself in his old home. He glanced back, seeing the door behind him closed. He turned back around, stepping further into the house. He crept along, his hand touching the rail of the stair case to the second floor, before noticing his father's office. His father sat there at a desk, he was going over paper work, and wore a suit.

"Dad?" Issac glanced inside, timidly.

The man glanced briefly to Issac, and back to his papers. "Not right now Issac, can't you see I'm busy? You're always showing up at the worst-" The man is cut off, due to his phone ringing. He reaches over to it. "Issac? Go do teenager stuff, or whatever it is you do in your room." He states coldly, taking his call.

Issac stared a bit, shifting his eyes to the side. "...(It's not real... but he's always this way... this game is pretty on spot here... I need to focus, and get out.)"

He turned from his dad's office, and peered up the stairs. From the kitchen however, he heard sounds of a knife on a cutting board. He decided to investigate, seeing his mother preparing dinner.

"Mom?" Issac looked to her, from the doorway.

She didn't even acknowledged him, and kept preparing dinner. Issac stepped into the kitchen, walking to her side.

"Mom?" He asked again. She didn't even look at him. Issac glanced off, "Right, you only pay attention to me if you think I'm in danger... (Am I supposed to do something? Is there a clue of what this game wants me to do?)" Issac eyed the knife a bit. "(Do I pretend to hurt myself, or go upstairs, and cut my wrist?... I don't know which memory this is.... not as if I can change the past.)"

Issac reached for the knife in his mother's hands, snatching it from her. He he pulled up his sleeve with his teeth, looking to her. "Is this what I'm supposed to do?" He stated, pulling the blade to his wrist. Blood began to bleed down them, and onto the counter top.

His mother turns to him quickly, "ISSAC! WHAT IN JOAN'S NAME ARE YOU DOING!?" She gasps, setting her materials down. "YOU'RE BLEEDING! OH MY POOR BABY!" She says, scrambling, as she runs to the father's office quickly. "HONEY!! WE HAVE TO TAKE ISSAC TO THE HOSPITAL!"

His father sighs, "Not again, that damn kid is costing us more than bills."

"I know,but we can't let him die. I don't know what I'd do with myself." The mother says fearfully.

"You and I both know, you don't give a rats ass about that kid. Only when he squeals about something, you get up and play mother. We should have given him up for adoption, or had an abortion." The father states sternly, smoking a cigar.

Issac was staring shakily through the doorway, blood still dripping from his arm as he overheard his parents. "(This memory....)"

"Honey...We have to..." She suddenly backs up fearfully, as Issac's father stood up from his seat. He glares to the woman, and picks up his rotary telephone.

He swings it, hammering it into the woman, hitting her head. She falls to the ground and he kicks her in her stomach, she then cringes as he continues to beat on her. Whimpering and screaming could be heard.

"Ungrateful bitch! You can't act your way out of this one! Let him bleed! It'll be one less mistake to worry about!" The man then takes the wire of the phone, and bends down to the woman. "I'll be calling the police, you want to save your bastard of a son? Then you can die here. I'll make sure to leave his body beside you, when he finishes bleeding out." He states, tying the cord around the woman's neck.

She starts to struggle to catch her breath, her feet scrambling to get grip. All Issac could do was watch in horror as tears went down his face. "(...Why this memory? I-I couldn't do anything to save her... It was all my fault...)" His mother's body fell limp, as his father snapped her neck with the phone wire.

The father turns his attention to Issac, "You're ruining the carpet boy...Though, I just thought of something. A deranged teen, sad about his life. Took it upon himself to kill his own mother, and has a scar from the fight, the struggle that occurred. I'm calling the police, and that is the story you're going to give them."

Issac grits his teeth, "(I can't kill him, it's a memory! BUT I WANT TO! SO BAD!!)" Issac was growing angry, with tears still flowing from his cheeks. He turns to the door, shakily, before rushing for it.

"Get back here, you little shit." The father demands, walking his direction.

Issac scrambles, trying to open the door. His palms were sweating, he was getting more shaky. As his father drew closer, the door was forced open. He breathed heavily, standing back in the room from before.

The maid looks his direction, smiling, "Hello... You have made it back from level one." She states, pouring some more tea into a cup.

Issac exhales, trying to calm his adrenaline. "What the FUCK is wrong with you people!?"

The maid giggles, "My, Mistress Inchgo might have been right about you. From the report, you aren't one to really swear... Would you like some tea, before your next level?"

Issac held his face, stepping over to the table, and sitting down roughly. "Is it poison?" He groaned.

"Oh no, this is a calming sedative, to help keep your mind sharp...It also can heal any abnormalities you may have received." The maid points to his arm.

Issac glances to his wrist, gawking. "WHAT THE!?" It was still cut, fresh blood even.

She pushes a cup of tea to Issac, gently. "There,there. I did forget to mention, what you encounter though memories, are VERY real. It isn't just mental pain, but physical as well."

Issac whimpered slightly, but took the cup, chugging it quickly. His body begins to ache, but suddenly he feels refreshed. The cut had left his wrist as well. Issac stood up again, looking back to the door.

"You have no idea how much I hate this." Issac said, approaching the door once more.

The maid nods to his comment. "Yes, safe travels. However, I hope to see you the next check point. Make haste now."

Issac pushed the door open, stepping through, like before. The area around him appeared to be a school yard. He realized his clothes had changed to his junior high uniform, and had on glasses. He had his book bag, but amongst all the passing students, none seemed to be his friends. He began walking through the crowds. "(School... What happened here again?... It's too much to distinguish...)"

A kid walks up behind him, pushing Issac slightly, "Haven't seen your face around here." The scrawny kid states to Issac.

Issac glances to the boy, he stumbles back a bit. "Uh..."

"What? Are you mute? You on your way to a 'special' class? You even know how to walk?" The kid says, pulling to Issac's glasses. "I bet you can't even see without these." He says, as he tosses them to the ground.

Issac crouches down, to reach for the glasses shakily.

The kid steps on the glasses, breaking them. He then turns his attention to Issac smirking. "Oops...I guess I didn't see them, while walking. Something you wish you could do." The kid says, kicking Issac in the face.

Issac fell backwards, roughly. He had blood escaping his nose, as he winced, holding to it. "Stop it..."

A couple more kids join the boy, who had kicked Issac. They all smile and surround him. "Guys? I have an idea. Let's take him to the locker room." The others agree, and pick Issac up off the ground. "Be careful with him, he can't walk." The boy says, smirking.

"Let go! Stop!!" Issac cried out, unable to get loose from the bullies holding him.

They all get to the locker room, one of the kids punch Issac in the stomach, and they let him fall to the floor. Another kid opens a locker. "Hey, I have an idea! Let's put him in here! You guys still have that old rusty lock? The one that doesn't open?"

Issac's eyes were shaking, "Wait, don't do this!"

"Oh yeeeah... Hehehe. Hey new bitch, toughen up. Then again, you do look pretty girly. Maybe we should cut your hair. Girly boy." The leader says slyly.

"Just leave me alone! I didn't do anything!!" Issac cried out.

The leader takes out a switch blade. "Hold him down." the others grip Issac tightly. The leader walks forward, "Stop squirming, besides you're going to be sitting in the dark. No one will have to see you. Ever."

Issac was tearing up, unable to move from their force. "(D-Dark....)" His eyes glanced uneasily to the knife. "Not my hair... not the dark.... Please... stop..."

The leader stops the knife now in Issac's face. He grips Issac hard by his hair, and begins to saw at it. "Cry little baby. That's right, beg for us to save your girly hair. Heh, such a little bitch."

The leader continues cutting away at the ponytail, and finally Issac's hair snaps. He could feel the strands leaving, and hitting the floor as it fell around him. Issac was staring in horror as the blue pieces floated down below him.

"You look more like a boy now, what do you think guys? Am I a good barber, or what?" The leader says, gripping Issac up by his shredded hair. He takes Issac to the locker, and takes his knife holding it to the back of Issac's neck. "Are you ready?"

".............." Issac sniffled, terrified by now.

"Guess so." The leader says, cutting the back Issac's neck, and slams him into the locker. The kids begin to laugh. "Night new bitch." The leader scoffs, walking away with his group.

Issac was locked in darkness, with barely any light entering the junior high cell. He felt the blood trickling down his neck. He placed a hand over it, wincing, while using the other to hit at the door. "HEY! Let me out of here! Somebody! Help! P-P-Pleeeaassee...." He started to cry, his voice cracking.

Inchgo's voice whispers to Issac, "The darkness is a scary place...But Issac. No one will hear you...You're bleeding out even...Reminds me of how things were with me...But. This is your memory, not mine....How did you escape Issac?"

"I.... You can stop this Inchgo! Let me out of here!" Issac snapped, still in terror.

Inchgo grumbles, "You still have sanity...But I want to see what's next...I want you to snap...Before...I rescue you...Think hard now...AND SCREAM! SCREAM, SO THAT PERHAPS THE DEAF EARS WILL HEAR YOU!"

Issac gritted his teeth, his eyes peeking from the hole of the locker. He held his head, things were getting hazy. Then he noticed the janitor, quickly banging to the locker. "HELP! PLEASE!"

The janitor rushes over to the locker. "Huh? How did you get in there?" he states, inspecting the lock. "It's rusted....Those kids again..." The janitor walks from the locker, "Hang on kid, I'll get you out of there."

"Hurry...." Issac was starting to loose consciousness.

The Janitor returns, and starts to hammer at the lock until it finally falls off. He quickly opens the locker for Issac. Issac falls out, but lands back into the white room. He was breathing heavily, as he was still bleeding. He laid on the ground, struggling to get up. He barely could see, but noticed black boots approach him. The person knelt down, holding tea to Issac.

"You should drink this." Spoke a male voice.

Issac shakily got to his knees, taking the tea, and drinking it. His wounds began to heal. He sighed, reaching back to feel if his hair was okay. "Oh good... That scared me for a bit... Hm?" Issac muttered, but glanced to see a brown haired boy wearing a green cloak with goggles. His hair resembled cat ears, and his eyes like a purple garnet. "Uh...." Issac gawked a bit, realizing the maid was absent.

The brown haired boy stood up, " So, she's got you doing these ludicrous trials... Typical."

"And... you are?" Issac was a bit taken by surprise still.

The boy glanced back to him, smirking. "I'm Inchgo's brother, SJ."

Issac went a bit blue in the face. His eyes trembling. "(Another one?!)"

"Relax, I'm here to help you through this. Seeing Inchgo's made it quite challenging to get you out of here." SJ stated, looking to the door.

"But uh, why are you helping me?" Issac asked, pointing to himself with a dumbfounded expression.

SJ closed his eyes, chuckling. "I'll leave you to ponder upon that. For now, you're stuck within the 'game', she has laid before you."

Issac grimaced a bit, "So much for explanations."

SJ turned to Issac, "Try not to loose yourself now. Tick tock. Better get moving. If Inchgo finds out I'm here, we'll both be in a world of hurt."

Issac gasped, getting to his feet. "So, you're breaking rules, to help me then?"

SJ rolled his eyes, "Yeah, obviously. What she sees in you, is beyond me. Get moving."

Issac jumped a bit heading for the door, and pushed it open. He was in someone's house with a party going on, with lots of young teenagers. He was standing there, sweating a bit, as he slowly entered the house. His glasses slowly slide down his nose, before he caught them with his index finger. "(Why did I go to this party? I can't remember...)" Issac thought, peering around all the other kids, then he noticed a girl descending the stairs. Issac saw her as an enchanting image, with sparkles around her. "(Ohhh... right.... Brooklyn...)"

She was a red haired girl, with amazing sense in fashion, and had lots of friends to come to her birthday party.

"Thank you all for coming, oh!" She says, spotting Issac, she instantly runs over to him. "I'm glad you showed up Issac!" Brooklyn says, hugging to him.

He was laughing anxiously, "Brooklyn. Hey." Issac said, he was blushing a bit.

"Well, don't just stand silly! Let's go dance! We had a lot of practice during drama class yesterday, remember, Romeo?" She states, winking to Issac.

Issac melted a bit, "Hehe yeah, okay."

Brooklyn pulls Issac with her to the dance floor, and the two begin to swing dancing together, amongst the other friends of Brooklyn. "Issac, you dance so elegantly. Hold me." She says, as she falls into Issac's arms.

Issac caught her, smiling. "I try."

After dancing for a bit, the music stops, and the teenagers around clap at their performance. Brooklyn grabs Issac by his hand, and bows with him to all the others. "Thank you! Thank you!" She says, looking back to Issac. "That was so awesome Issac!" She says, smiling to Issac.

Issac blushed, scratching the tip of his nose. "I-It was nothing. You're a much better dancer then me."

"Oh thanks for the complement! You're such a charmer, my Romeo! OH! I know you don't swim, but I just have to show you my swimsuit! Would you mind waiting outside by the pool, while I go change? I want you to see how cute it is." Brooklyn inquired to Issac.

Issac gawked a bit, blushing. "Uh-um-S-Sure! Sure t-thing! (Pool? POOL?! Oh man, that makes me nervous... but... A cute girl in a swim suit...)"

"I'll be right back...Just meet me outside, okay?" Brooklyn says, smiling as she headed back upstairs. Issac watched her go, blushing. He gulped a bit, as the envious eyes of the other kids stared his way. Issac proceeded to the back door, stepping outside to await Brooklyn. Not too far ahead of him was the large pool.

Issac stood there, waiting for her to come out. He had a dorky smile on his face. "(I get to see her in a swimsuit... I must be pretty lucky.)" His eyes loomed to the water's edge however, as he slowly crept to it. His unsure eyes watched the lightly shifting water, as some of the kids were swimming in it.

The sliding door behind him opened, causing him to turn. Brooklyn walked up to him, wearing a very cute two piece swim suit.

Issac was blushing wildly. "U-Uh..."

"Like , don't you think I look rad in this, Romeo?" She giggled, getting closer. Her face had gotten super close to his, her lips nearly touching his. "I bet you want to kiss me, don't you lover boy?" She spoke, seductively.

"I-I..." Issac gulped, he could feel his knees buckling, as he nervously stared to the girl of his dreams. His heart was pounding.

"Speak Shakespeare, my prince. Woo me." Brooklyn closed her eyes, Issac could feel her breath on his face.

Issac was shaking, but he wasn't scared, just nervous. "But soft, what light through yonder window breaks; It is the east and Juliet is the sun." His eyes began to slowly close, expecting a kiss.

Without any warning, Issac felt his body shoved back hard, crashing right into the pool. He was taken by complete surprise, and was panicked as he tried to reach the surface. Bubbles were escaping his mouth, but he couldn't swim. He was struggling, and nearly getting his nose to surface.

Then when he thought he was about to reach air, some of the kids in the pool began tugging him back down. This caused his glassed to fall off, and sink to the bottom of the pool. He struggled even further as they kept him under water. His vision could see through the water, that Brooklyn was laughing. She was completely amused by this, and standing beside her was a cooler looking, older boy.

His eyes were getting hazy. "(She... tricked me.... How could Brooklyn... do this to me?... I-I thought she liked me....)"

Right before he was about to drown, the kids released him to surface. Issac found himself bursting to the surface, coughing up water at the edge of the pool. He was dripping wet, as he wheezed for air.

His blurry vision peered up to all the jeering kids of the party, that had been watching.

"You really thought that I'd go for some bookworm like you? As if loser. I'm like way out of your league, in fact I find it even more hilarious how trusting you are. Also, if you hadn't noticed, this bodacious hunk is my sweet piece of man. I don't date teacher's pets. See everyone, I told you that the nerd would fall for it. Best prank, ever." She laughed, obnoxiously.

"He's never gonna be one of the cool kids. Kid just ain't got it, ya'know." Her boyfriend shrugged, with a cocky grin.

Issac was uneasy about all this, and shakily looks to Brooklyn with furrowed brows. "(W-What did I do wrong?... Why is this happening to me?)"

"This was the best prank yet! This guy's a complete idiot!", "Yeah, talk about oblivious! How stupid can you get?", "Must be reading too much Shakespeare!","We should have let him drown.", "Totally! Not like he can swim. Survival of the fittest! Hella!"

Issac rubbed his nose, sniffling, as he got to his feet. He quickly made his way for the front door.He was moving to quick, and was slipping on the wood flooring. This resulted in him falling down. Issac held his head, as more kids, gathered, laughing.

"Hey loser! You forgot something!" A kid called, mockingly. His glasses were thrown, sliding up beside Issac. He timidly reached for them, when another kid stepped on them, intentionally. "Whoops. Guess I broke them. Nerd."

Issac was crying at this point, dragging himself off the ground, as he gripped to his broken eye wear. He rushed for the door, as the bullies continued to mock him. As he passed through the door, he stood in the strange room from before.

There standing before him now was a pale girl, dressed in white, she had silver hair, and red eyes. She walks over to Issac. "You made it. I was worried...." The girl states, holding out her hand.

Issac glanced to her a bit, "Where am I?... Who are you...?"

The girl starts to shake, she seemed bothered. "You don't remember why you're here? Or where you are?..." She inquired to Issac.

"I nearly just drowned! How the hell should I know?!" Issac held back angry tears. "You gonna make fun of me too, just because I can't swim!?"

"Oh no,no no!" The girl started to shout, "Issac! Urgh...My name is Rose, you're far too deep into the game...If you continue...You don't even remember that, I think.." The girl says, turning away from Issac.

Issac glanced to the door. "What's through there?"

Rose shakes her head. "No, she's not getting another one! You're not going through there, until you remember! At least a little bit...I don't want this ending badly. My sister Inchgo! Do you remember that name?"

"You're just making stuff up, like the other kids. Leave me alone. I'm not falling for this..." Issac said, going to the door.

"PLEASE LISTEN TO ME! IF YOU GO THROUGH THAT DOOR! YOU RISK LOSING YOURSELF!!!... Just like you lost your mother to your father, and the school! You're reliving your nightmares, and they're over taking you, Issac!" Rose pleaded.

"And I'm the tooth fairy. Just... Leave me alone... I wish people didn't notice me... Maybe then things would be better..." Issac muttered, placing his hand to the door.

Rose rushes over grabbing to Issac, pulling him backward. "No! Think of this location! You're saying you haven't seen it before! Yet, I'm trying to stop you from making a mistake!"

"Nothing matters anyway. I honestly wish... that I was never born..." He pulled from her, with shadows over his eyes, as tears dripped down them.

Rose had tears in her eyes too. "I-Issac....(I'm sorry...I can't stop him, SJ...)"

Issac got from her grasp, and pushed open the door. Everything around him changed once more, he was back home again.